Albus
by albusgreeneyes
Summary: A story about Harry Potter's children as they go through their time at Hogwarts. All characters are touched upon but mostly in Albus' point of view
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: A Perfectly Ordinary Homecoming**

Harry never really had an intention of visiting number four Privet Drive after that fateful night before his seventeenth birthday. However, after the events of that following May, the Durselys had returned to their old, unsold dwelling in a heartbeat. The year had not been kind to Mr. Dursely, nor his wife and son. On several occasions, the family had been hastily forced to abandon their new homes during the wee hours of the morning for "precautionary measures" against "imminent enemy threats." Vernon Dursely was not the man to usually give in to such intimidation though Petunia, his wife, seemed to know a bit more of what these "threats" entailed and her blanched, shaky reaction to these sudden relocations always persuaded Vernon to follow without much question.

Dedalus Diggle remained a constant and vigilant companion to the Durselys during their travels into hiding. As a skilled auror, he could detect the slightest presence of Dark magic or the wizards practicing it like Dudley could find the one sugar-coated strawberry on a platter of fresh fruit. More than once, the Durselys were safely whisked away from any wizards who wished them harm due to Diggle's alertness and on the rare occasion that dark forces initially eluded him, his superior wand use- in particular a dangerously accurate Reductor Curse- never failed to keep the family's heads on their shoulders. If anyone was in debt to this wizard's talents, it would be the Dursely trio.

Unfortunately, Vernon Dursely never saw Dedalus as talented. Rather, he noticed the odd way this man would mismatch his muggle clothing or how he would be caught every so often talking into the embers of a fire or the simply ridiculous news he would share with the family about escaped dragons from goblin-run banks and increasing activity in known giant communities across Britain. It didn't help that every relocation Diggle brought the family to was in a community where a few wizarding families resided. "It adds to the protection," Dedalus would explain when Vernon and Petunia would spot a cluster of oddly dressed individuals who lived down the street, "and perhaps you'll benefit from the exposure- the absurdity as you call it."

Nevertheless, after almost a year of total absurdity, Dedalus had come to inform the Durselys that, if they so ever wished, they were free to come out of hiding and return to their old house on Privet Drive. The wizard had also added, "Of course, you are more than welcome to continue your residence here…" though whether that last invitation ever made it to Vernon's ears as he bowled up the staircase to his half un-emptied suitcase remained unknown. So, a mere two days after the wizarding world had begun to celebrate the fall of the darkest wizard in memory, Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley had finished squeezing their belongings through the front door of their abandoned home and promptly slouched on the couch, unaware of anything unordinary that might be going on.

And so, fifteen years after that not-so-final farewell, Harry arrived at the doorstep of Number Four to meet his grown cousin and celebrate his second daughter's birthday. Walking up the front path, he hesitated for a moment, wildly thinking of why he was returning to the place he had so longed to leave as a child. Although he knew it was illogical, Harry always had the fleeting fear that he might not be allowed to leave the house when he wanted and his stomach would twist into the familiar feeling he had felt during the summers of his school years.

A flurry of bright red hair whipped past Harry and strolled up to the front porch. Ginny, never knowing the sentimentality that Harry held this house in, paused with her finger on the doorbell before looking back at the rest of her family who stood unmoving on the walkway. Her three children, James, Albus, and Lily all crowded behind their father. Each was secretly hoping Harry would change his mind about coming, hoping that they wouldn't have to visit for yet another year.

"Well come on! They're expecting us you know and standing there is not going to make them come out," Ginny tapped her foot on the porch, striking an impressive reflection of her mother and eyed each of her children sternly. As her eyes traveled to her husband though, her gaze softened and she turned once more to ring the doorbell.

At the sound of several feet pounding down the stairs, Harry gave a jerk, as if coming out of a trance, and strode quickly to his wife's side. James gave a sidelong glance towards Albus, but only found Lily by his side, the eager look of possibly returning home fading fast with each of her father's footsteps. Behind him a soft click of the car door was followed by the even softer footsteps of his younger brother. "Forgot my book," Albus explained, a brightly colored book held in his hands.

James snorted, "I thought you already read that book," and flicked the cover with his finger. To the ordinary eye (and this neighborhood was as ordinary and ordinary goes) this gesture seemed perfectly harmless. However, James was not an ordinary boy and that had not been an ordinary book. As Harry and Ginny were greeted by a now full grown Dudley, the three adults all turned towards a sudden squawking noise to find Albus frantically calming his flapping bird book with James and Lily doubled over with laughter. The children looked up at the adults as Albus hissed to his brother," You _always_ do that at the wrong time!"

"P-Perhaps we could leave that p-particular book in the c-car for the t-time being," Dudley nervously eyed the now settled book chirping contently in Albus' arms. Harry's cousin was easily the most massive thing on the front porch, with an extensive build of both muscle and fat. He reached a towering height above the average man with a thick neck that seamlessly flowed into broad shoulders and led to a, once fit, but now slightly pouched belly. One would think not much could give a man like this a fright yet Dudley was afraid of quite a number of things that didn't fit into his ordinary world. A flapping, squawking book was one of those things. But, seeing the boy's face fall, he added quickly, "We have more books here. You're welcome to read them."

"Okay," Albus turned and placed the book back in the car.

Ginny turned to Dudley, apologetically, "Sorry for that, I told them to bring normal things…"

Dudely, who was still following Albus, turned distractedly toward her, "He reads a lot, the little one doesn't he? Always brings a book when he comes."

"Yes, Al's our little reader," Ginny smiled, glad the situation hadn't ruffled her cousin-in-law too much.

"Reading's a good thing for kids," Dudley continued, "Quiet…" the bird book suddenly gave one last screech before Albus shut the door. Harry, who had been removed until now, suddenly laughed and even Dudley gave a smirk as his last comment died on his lips.

"Trust me, Dud," Harry said as his cousin led him into the house, "Nothing is quiet around wherever we are. Not with James and Al so close to each other."

"Oh yeah, I know," replied Dudley, nodding wisely as a loud boom echoed from the living room, "Even without the- you know- it's still a rarity to get peace here with the tykes."

At the end of the hallway leading from the entrance, a small, blonde head poked through the doorway and exclaimed, "Oh please dad, come quick! Margie's already opening her presents."

"Little Tyke, I remember when I got that excited for my birthdays. Now…" Dudley tenderly rubbed a thinning spot on the back of his head as Ginny snickered and nodded understandingly. James, Albus, and Lily now followed close to their mother, caught between avoiding their spoiled cousins and joining in the crazy noises emitting from the room. As they made their way to the back of the house, only Albus looked back to see his father lagging behind, walking almost lethargically through the hall. And only Albus saw Harry pause for a second, certainly unaware of his son's eyes on him, and almost absentmindedly brush his hand against a cupboard door beneath the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Margie**

The boy who had stuck his head out of the living room was Dudley's oldest son, Henry. He now sat by Penny, the next eldest on a large, puffy armchair that could've have even comfortably fit a form like Dudley's with room to spare for a Harry. James looked around at the guests and promptly stuck out his tongue. The gestured was returned by the pink-faced boy and his sister.

Henry was a mirror image of his father, though could only be described as mildly chubby whereas Dudley had been a portly figure even at the young age of nine. Penny, which stood for Petunia, also had inherited her father's pink face and her mother's bony features. Both children, being at least a year older than any of the Potters, prided themselves on tormenting their younger relatives whenever they had the chance- although as James grew older, this task had grown substantially more difficult and therefore, all the more fun.

Dudley's youngest children were dark-haired and gray-eyed Duncan- the only child who seemed to follow his mother's side and his sister Marge. Margie was wider and greedier than the rest of her siblings put together, with watery eyes and thick lips that seemed to constantly protrude in a pout, and easily the Potters' least favorite cousin. Duncan was a year younger than Lily and Margie happened to be born just weeks before Albus which meant that the middle Potter had spent the most time acquainting himself with her overwhelming unpleasantness.

Today more than ever, Margie seemed to excrete an air of being spoiled beyond the healthy point of any child. This, Albus thought inwardly, might be because of the mountain of presents perched rather precariously around her generously proportioned body, half already unwrapped. Clasped between her pudgy fingers was a button that hurled insults when pressed and was responsible for most of the noise in the room. At every comment made, Duncan, who was balanced on an especially large present, would burst into a fit of nasty laughter, rocking the box beneath him.

"Off it Duncan," said Margie, all but overturning her younger brother from the gift, "I want to open that one now."

"Oh no Margie-pie, not that one just yet," Dudley chuckled, "Wait till your mother arrives- that one's a special present from her and I." Albus watched as Margie's lower lip started to protrude even more and give a dangerous quiver. She looked on the brink of a tantrum before eyeing a present in Ginny's hands and smiling up at everyone with a hideously sweet face said, "Then perhaps I could open Uncle Harry's and Aunt Ginny's present?"

"Sure honey," Ginny replied, handing the present to James, "This is from all three of the children, hope you like it." James mimed retching on the small box just out of sight of his mother's view.

"Here Al, you give it to her," James whispered, shoving the box in Albus' chest.

"Mom gave it to you James,"

"You're her favorite,"

"That doesn't mean she' s my fav…"

Ginny cocked her head toward her sons' direction, "Is something wrong?" she said, casting a harsh gaze particularly in James direction.

"No mom," James said, flashing a charming smile, seemingly undaunted by his mother's glare, "Al here just wants to give Margie her present. After all she is his _favorite_ cousin." Lily snickered but eyed Albus sympathetically as he dejectedly gripped the present and walked over to where Margie now impatiently sat. Once he was within reach, she quickly snatched the present out of Albus' hands and he backed away, sitting up on yet another large gift. After a few intense seconds of ripping and tearing, Margie suddenly stopped and, with a confused expression, lifted a palm-sized transparent ball from the mound of tattered paper. She looked up at Albus and narrowed her eyes as if he was playing some sort of joke on her.

"Say Chromaignis, chroma- ignis" Albus said softly, pointing to the ball.

"You think I would fool myself like that?" Margie said incredulously, obviously thinking Albus was trying to make her look stupid in front of everyone. She looked at her father indignantly as if he should intervene.

"Margie-pie calm, just say the words. Something will happen." He glanced at Harry unsure, "Right?" Harry nodded encouragingly at him and his daughter, whose face was becoming increasingly poutier.

"Fine," Margie glared once more at Albus before repeating very loudly, "Chroma-Ignis!"

Instantly, the transparent ball grew black and opaque, only broken by tiny explosions of color that sparkled and popped, making the orb jump slightly in Margie's thick fingers. "Fireworks!" She exclaimed, now fixing Albus with a triumphant gleam as if to say that he could never get such an amazing present.

"Can I see it sis?" Duncan, who had been glowering on the floor under his other siblings from his unceremonious dump from Margie's present now seemed mesmerized by the little orb. In greedy instinct, Margie initially pulled the firework ball closer to herself, though after a moment turned to Duncan and plopped the ball in his lap.

A sudden rush of movement followed as James had successfully launched a wad of paper toward the armchair, squarely striking Penny in the nose and erecting another bout of giggles from Lily. Just as Penny gave a screech of surprise, her mother burst through the kitchen door that led from the garage. Harry, Ginny, and Dudley all hurried to greet her, leaving no one but Albus to notice Margie's brief action. For some reason, Albus couldn't see the greedy gleam in his cousin's eyes and wondered if it had ever been there at all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The zoo**

With both her mother and father now present, Margie commenced with the rest of her numerous gifts which included but were not limited to a T.V., fashion dolls, fashion video-game for her T.V., a new bike, cloths, cloths for her dolls, and a chest full of gowns that she had hinted she would like to play with, with Albus if they had time. The mountainous stack of wrapped presents was now replaced by a smaller, more dangerously looking stack of toys piled high onto each other. Just as she tossed the last present (a jeep made for her dolls) into the heap, Margie fixed her mom with another falsely cute stare and said, "Is it time to go to the zoo yet?"

James, who had been getting scolded by both Ginny and Penny, looked up, "We're going to the zoo?" He repeated mischievously, already thinking of the many pranks Henry and Penny could possibly fall into in a place like that. Ginny, catching her son's train of thought added sharply, "Not you if you don't behave and apologize to Penny, NOW."

"Sure honey-pie, we can go right now, it's your birthday anyhow," Dudley's wife crooned to her daughter who was currently trying to hoist herself upright without upsetting any presents. Henry and Penny slipped off the armchair in unified fashion, both giving James and Lily identical loathing scowls as they pranced past. Duncan carefully nestled the firework ball atop a rather puffy yellow gown and quickly scampered after his older siblings to the garage.

"Right then," Dudley placed his arm around Marge and guided her out the door. Turning to Harry, he said, "that's everyone now? "

"Think so," replied Harry, "Oh wait, I don't think I saw…" Suddenly Albus appeared behind Dudley, pulling on the much larger man's shirt cuff.

"Hey now, you probably want that book I promised you now, right?" Dudley had to lean closer as Albus softly answered, "Yeah," and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Right, well follow me then," Dudley led Albus to a much more austere room near the front foyer. They reached a bookshelf which, despite its opulent size and design, held a very scarce number of books, "Not sure whether you'd like many of these, not really for children," he scanned the shelves, all of which were quite well out of reach for Albus, "Here- this one's got pictures in it. You like castles?" Albus nodded and Dudley handed him a large, thin, and quite unmoving book. Then the two proceeded to the garage where the rest of the family was trying to sort out who should sit by who.

"But I wanta sit by Henry!" wailed Duncan as Penny pushed herself between her brothers.

"It's okay Duncan, you can sit by me," Albus came to join the other kids. Duncan narrowed his eyes at Albus before throwing his nose high in the air and jutting his lower lip out painfully far, resolute.

"Careful, Dun," James hissed quietly from a seat ahead, " If you keep doing that, your head's gonna stay that way and then you won't be able to see where you're going and no one's gonna want help something that looks like a git." Duncan stared wide-eyed at James and then frantically began prodding his face to verify everything had gone back to their original sullen look. Lily, on cue, chuckled from her seat next to James. But then, after seeing Albus' lonely glance at Duncan once more, she shifted over near him.

"Here Al, I'll sit by you," Smiling up in her other brother's face, "Will you read to me? Please?"

Albus contemplated her for a moment, then shyly grinned and opened the book to an impressive-looking Scottish castle. James sulked in the background, suddenly finding himself alone.

So with Lily and Albus immersed in their book together, Penny and Henry murmuring with each other and Margie- who insisted that she have a seat all to herself, and James and Duncan sitting together trying to ignore the other's existence (Though Duncan occasionally received a flick from the older boy), the trip to the zoo was rather pleasant.

"So Elise," In the front of the car, Ginny turned to Dudley's wife, "How was the visit with your relatives?"

"Oh they're quite well, Sonia's just turned eleven and of course that means she'll be getting ready for school at Hogwarts this September."

"I always forget you're a squib," Harry commented as the car turned into the dusty streets of London.

"I really don't take much compliment from that name," Elise replied coolly. Harry sunk a bit lower in his seat.

"Well, I mean, I didn't think Dudley would end up marrying someone so involved with the magical world," he tried to explain, apologetically, "I figured he'd had enough from growing up with me…"

Dudley smirked and turned to his wife, "It was nice to meet someone who understood," he said simply. Ginny glanced quizzically at Elise who offered, "You know, knowing about the world you live in, all the magic and surrealism, but never really being a part of it," She turned to Dudley and the two shared a brief moment before Ginny broke in.

"Curious, though how none of you children got it," She looked back at the children piled in the back, four of which not the least bit abnormal.

"Yes I was surprised when not one of them showed any signs… though Duncan's still quite young. I must say I wouldn't have been unhappy if one of them had turned out a wizard. Huh honey?" Elise turned again to her husband but Dudley had put on a peculiar expression not unlike the one he had worn when he saw Albus' squawking book.

"I like them the way they are," He replied weakly as the car sped through a yellow light. Harry snorted. Apparently a few of Uncle Vernon's genes had trickled through the generation.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: A bit of mischief with James**

As the tropical display at the zoo's entrance appeared, Margie let out a raucous squeak and began listing off which animals she would see first, "We simply must start with the monkeys," she demanded as Ginny helped her from the car, "Then we will move on to the turtles and we can't forget to visit the lions. I must visit the little cub- I've not seen him since he was born a couple years ago," She added to Albus as he was the only one making an effort to listen at the moment.

"Oh yes, Margie," said James, casting his hands over his head in a dramatic fashion, "I bet he just _adores_ it when you come for your annual visits."

"It's a _she_, by the way James," Margie countered before flouncing up to her mother. James rolled his eyes and instead advanced on Albus.

"Wanna do something fun?"He nudged his younger brother playfully. James, though only two years Albus' elder, was noticeably the larger of the two boys with a mop of curly brown hair on his head and glinting brown eyes that betrayed his quite rambunctious person. Albus was a tiny boy for his age, barely taller than Lily and quite thin. His hair was neither as unruly as his brother's nor as red as his sister's and coupled with his rather reserved presence, one would think a boy like Albus could easily fade into the background of many, more distinctive faces. But Albus had also inherited his father's eyes; striking green, famously green eyes that made both muggles and wizards alike look at this otherwise quite ordinary boy twice.

"It's her birthday James," Albus stated, looking up to his brother. It hadn't been scolding or pleading, just a blunt observance as Albus rarely dared to counter James.

"I know but won't it be fun?" James nudged Albus once more, "And I really need your help to make sure Margie buys into my plan." Albus squinted at James, "What exactly does _my help _include?"

"Oh nothing to detrimental to your health Al, lighten up a bit, would ya?" James tousled his brother's hair, "See, I just need you to lead Margie away from the adults. Then I can have my fun. Seems harmless enough right? Well, for you at least," Albus paused and when James ceased to elaborate, inquired, "And do I get to know your part of this brilliant scheme?"

"Perhaps, but now is not the time to delve into the details" James smirked before strolling off. Albus trotted after him, a sense of mischief and curiosity accumulating inside himself, "Wait, James tell me! I'll do it but I gotta know the plan…"

"What plan?" Albus recoiled a little as Margie's voice slapped him upside his face. He hadn't noticed her wander from their parents, caught in a fairly extensive line for admission, and approach him and James, "What _plan?"_ she repeated.

"uh, nothing" Albus whispered, shrinking visibly under his cousin's glare. "What? Oh speak up would you Al, you are always so quiet," Margie advanced towards the slighter Potter. James however, broke her encroachment, "Oh Margie just butt out, obviously we don't want to tell _you_ about our plan."

"Oh and why not?" Marge turned her robust figure on James who grinned, "Well if we really must tell you, it's about how we can see all the big cats here," he nodded genuinely before continuing, "See, Al here wants to see the tigers first but the leopards, lions, and bobcats are all closer so we're going to visit them first, you know, and save the best for last." Obviously content with his story, James smiled once more.

Margie was not convinced, "And why would you not want to tell me a dumb plan like that, James, unless you're lying." Albus' eyes darted intently to what James would say next.

"Well, Margie I didn't want to tell you this but since you so _kindly _asked, Al and I don't want the likes of you to come along." This seemed to satisfy (and slightly peeve) Margie, who suddenly snapped her pudgy hand around Albus' wrist and commenced to dragging him towards the adults, saying, "Well, I hope you weren't too set on visiting that tiger because we're going to see the monkeys first, I'm the Birthday girl and I want to see the monkeys-first the little orange ones, then the chimpanzees, we can skip the ungly big ones with the blue snout and…" Albus glowered at his older brother as Margie's plan was articulated, who was still smiling contently, a safe distance out of earshot.

Standing in line next to her father, Penny briefly twitched her head in the direction of an oncoming onslaught of chatter from her younger sister approaching with a very miserable-looking Albus tightly in tow. Judging that the younger boy was tormented enough, she glanced at the older brother. As his cocky smirk registered, a look of annoyance spread through her features. To remedy the cause of her irritation, Penny subtly extended her leg under James as he lounged past, effectively causing him to crash into Duncan. The tiny boy was already at his wits end with James from his treatment in the carried and made sure to make a fuss as James picked him up from the concrete.

"Oh brush it off Dun, go cry to Penny, she's the one who tripped me. Gosh you're a sissy…" though he quieted quickly as Ginny fixed him with a stern gaze, "James. Here. Now." beckoning towards her far side. James took a moment to stick his tongue out at Penny before making his way over to his mother.

Albus usually enjoyed witnessing James' acts of immaturity, but sadly, Margie had spoiled this episode with her insistent mouth. Obviously inspired by James' "plan", his cousin had named animals to visit that Albus was certain did not reside in the zoo. When the families finally passed through the zoo's entrance, Albus was numbly resigned to bear the burden of Margie's constant talking. "The Monkey's Daddy, let's go!" Margie screamed at her father and waddled towards the cages with surprising agility.

Dudley beamed as he watched her go, "Precious tyke," he cooed and turned to Harry, "They really are enjoyable at this age, so innocent and easy to please."

"Of course," Harry muttered, eyeing Albus being unmercifully yanked, "Little Margie is, err, quite something to be reckoned with eh?"

"Oh yes," Dudley crooned, "Reminds me a lot of myself you know, little tyke." Harry could not disagree.

The day was passing in rapid controlled chaos. Margie was unimpressed with the sleepy monkeys, rattled on their wired cage, and was promptly told to move on by a sweaty zookeeper. They then visited the penguins where Duncan and Lily were unceremoniously squished into the glass separation as Margie and Henry battled for the prime view and James managed to place a fat black beetle on Penny's ponytail without her noticing. Then a small ice-cream snack was called for. Albus was disappointed when Margie ordered the last _Sundae Supreme_ cone and even more disappointed when she decided the _Supreme_ was not enough to fulfill her hunger and shared Albus' vanilla cone as well. Margie then led the party towards the lion den and threw a fit when the keeper there informed her that the cub had been shipped to a zoo in Winchester and Penny collapsed in a puddle of mud near the giraffes when James' beetle found its way down her forehead.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Unexpected ASP**

Now Albus, Margie, Lily, Henry, Duncan, and James sat crowded on a bench, none of whom were happy at the moment except James who thought he had suitably exacted his revenge. Watching a raging Penny get hosed down, the elder Potter spotted an exhibit behind the adults that made his spirits rise even higher. Eagerly he nudged Albus and turned to Margie, saying sweetly, "Oh Margie, we almost forgot about the turtles! You wanted to see them didn't ya? Well I really did want to see the tigers, but I suppose since it is your birthday we could see them instead," Margie's beady eyes darted towards the Reptile House, snidely eyeing James, answered, "Yes, I think we will be seeing the turtle next," plopped down from the bench and pranced over to her mother. Some arguing ensued as both Elise and Ginny were worn from the day and planned on leaving once Penny had dried. However, Dudley gave in to his daughter's wishes after she threatened another fit and Harry decided to tag along.

"C'mon Al, it's ShowTime," James perked up from his seat and motioned for Albus to follow. This did not go unnoticed by Harry though and when his sons approached he grabbed James by the shoulder and rotated him back in the direction of the bench, "I don't think Margie needs any more trouble from you." James protested but Harry was already ushering Albus and Margie up the path.

Without James to execute his prank, Albus was torn between following through with his brother's plans and leaving Margie at peace. The trick would be harmless enough; James had briefly gone over it between ice-cream and the lions. As the cool, stale scent of reptiles wafted through the exhibit doors, Albus spotted a large white tub balanced near the gecko environment, glittering with small purple beetles and scoops to feed the lizards with. All Albus had to do was drop a few insects in Margie's pockets, hood, collar, and maybe in her hair for good measure. Then wait, until the car ride back or after arriving home for the spoiled girl to discover her companions.

Albus inched closer to the bucket and reached out to grab a handful of beetles when his hand was smacked by Margie, "Oh don't touch those vile, disgusting things!" she shrieked, pulling Albus by his collar, "Come, the turtles are over there."

Margie pressed herself against the glass of the enclosure and started to make horribly cute faces at the large tortoises. Albus took this time to wrench himself from her chubby hands. Rubbing his neck, he imagined being a turtle, happily chewing on whatever turtles eat, only to look up at a face like his cousin's. Albus decided he would probably hide in his shell.

" Oh Al wake them up! They are moving so s-l-o-w-l-y," Margie drew her last comment out and mimed the movements of the languid inhabitants, "Gosh are they boring, ooh!" she slapped Albus on the back and pointed to another cage, "That one's moving!"

The _that_ that Margie had spotted happened to be a thick three- or four-foot long boa, wrapping its way along a branch "Ooh Al it's so long. Hey, hey snake! Look over here would you," she banged on the glass, prompting the boa to slither closer to her pink fists, and then right in front of Albus.

For a few seconds, the boy and the snake simply regarded each other. Albus felt a little uneasy and traced his finger in a loop on the glass, watching the boa follow his movements, "Hey there," he breathed and the snake flicked his tongue as if to greet him in return, "Must be boring in there all day, watching people watching you," drawing his hand in a zigzag fashion. He could almost hear the serpent whisper "Tell me about it," bobbing his head to Albus' tracings. Margie found this trick to be of some interest, "Oh get out of the way Al," toppling over the slighter boy, "It's my turn." Smacking her fingers to the glass, Margie continued Albus' pattern, however, the snake had seemed to lose interest and was peering down on the boy, with what seemed to be a concerned expression (for as far as snake's expressions can go).

Albus picked himself up from the floor, tired and annoyed and shook his head slightly. He noticed his dad and uncle standing a few feet away, a curious air written on each face. Albus was pondering what emotions were wound up in those expressions when a sudden boom nearly brought him to the floor again. Margie, being the spoiled brat she was, was used to people obeying her and had slammed her fist on the boa's exhibit in frustration to its incompliance to give her much notice

"Stupid thing can't even do any tricks," she banged her pudgy hands once more, attracting the disapproving stares of other visitors. Albus stepped beside her and drew a line across the glass, to which the snake instantly followed, "You can't make all that noise like that see?" Margie nudged him away once more and extended Albus' invisible line, but the boa continued towards Albus, almost pleading, "Take this girl away, oh please I want to nap now." Wait. The snake had pleaded, and Albus had heard it, "Are you talking to me?" He jolted as the serpent slowly bobbed his head.

"What are you doing?" Margie squinted her piggy eyes at Albus.

"It's talking to me can't you heard it?" Albus stared wide-eyed at the boa, "Here just whisper something to it…"

"No, no, no. No freakish whispering to snakes son," Dudley swiftly appeared at Albus' side and steered him and Margie towards the entrance, "It's high time we left don't you think?"

"Oh yes let's do go," Margie was jealous of the attention the boa had given to someone other than herself. But Albus was still absorbing his small conversation, (with a snake!) and didn't really want to leave until he was sure his sanity was still intact. Yet between his uncle and Margie already tugging him halfway to the doors, it seemed as though Albus would not be certain.

Then from somewhere behind him, the shrill scream of some distressed visitor rang out. Albus was whisked around at Dudley's frantic turn and just caught a glimpse of the boa slithering through the glass as if it was merely a wall of water. Others had noticed the phenomenon as well and turmoil erupted through the room. Visitors were backing against walls and scooping their crying children high above their heads, ducking and pacing, trying to find a suitable hiding spot. And still the snake continued to slide across the floor, impassive to the commotion around him.

He halted a few steps from Albus, "It wass nice to meet a ssoul like you kid," melting the disbelief from the boy's mind.

"Bye," Albus barely dared to breathe back as the boa pivoted back to his enclosure. A slight flick of his tail showed he had heard.

Meanwhile, Harry was aware that the other visitors were gaining their wits back and beginning to register the quite unusual happening they had just witnessed. As the boa silently slipped into its home, Harry brandished his wand and cast an obliviate spell unto the unfortunate guests. He then hurriedly ushered the stunned Dudley and Margie to the doors and only looked back once to see a perfectly normal snake sleeping peacefully on its branch as a woman nearby crawled out from under a table with the most confused expression on why she'd been under there in the first place.

At around four o'clock, a very silent carload of people was making its way home from the zoo. Only James had gotten the nerve to speak up every once and awhile to bother Albus on just how he had managed to quiet the enormous chatterbox-more-formally-known-as-his-cousin into an almost catatonic trance but had grown tired of his brother's equally heavy stillness.

Dudley had only mumbled a few words to his wife before leaving the zoo and the couple was presently stonily ignoring Ginny and Harry, who doubted they would be invited to visit next year. But mending the broken relationship he shared with Dudley was not the most impressing subject on Harry's mind at the moment. For only Harry had understood that the connection between his son and the snake had been much more than what reached the muggle eye. Of course Albus was bound to have a few magical outbursts here and there, after all he was almost eleven and his wizarding skills were rapidly developing, but a parselmouth?

Through the side mirror of the car, Harry looked at the face of his youngest son. He could see so much of himself reflected through him. Albus was the only child to inherit his green eyes, and his small stature and slim face only accentuated the resemblance. And now his son would also spend his childhood with a similar talent. But Harry had long lost the ability to speak parseltongue, an ability only brought on by the presence of Voldemort's soul latched on to his own. But Albus' soul was wholly his, his talent not induced by dark magic. And Harry wondered what his first year at school would reveal about his son, already proving to be unusual, even by wizarding standards.


End file.
